This invention generally relates to motion stabilization systems and more particularly to roll reduction devices used aboard marine vessels.
As a result of the increased importance of helicopters and vertical takeoff-landing aircraft as an integral part of naval combat systems, a major thrust of recent research and development effort in surface ship dynamics has been directed toward improving ship/aircraft interfacing. Since the ship/aircraft interface and various other ship mission areas are strongly dependent on weather, ship motions, and wave impact forces, it is desirable to reduce ship roll motions to minimize the possibility of damage to aircraft during landing and takeoff operations. It is also desirable to reduce ship roll motions to achieve satisfactory performance of all mission critical maintenance tasks. Accordingly, a particular area of ship stabilization research has involved attempts to utilize the installed rudder systems of ships to control and reduce the rate and magnitude of ship roll motions. However, problems have been experienced in developing compatible roll reduction systems because of operational interference between use of the rudder in reducing roll motions and utilization of the rudder as a steering mechanism.